Sunday, June 8, 2008

SUBURBAN LAWNS-S/T, LP, 1981, USA





With a sound that owed more to the Akron, Ohio Devo/Tin Huey axis that anything else transpiring in the L.A. scene of the period, this oddball crew created a debut album of herky jerk new wave godhead that stands as both one of the finest releases of the L.A. underground and indeed the entire era. Anyone that's had the pleasure of witnessing their jaw dropping performance on Peter Ivers' New Wave Theater will have 13 year old chanteuse Su Tissue's pigtails-braces-and-catholic-schoolgirl's-uniform visage burned into their retinas for life, but it's the alternately heliated and husky vocals that issue from her absurdly precocious mouth that'll pin you to the wall. Mad, frantic and giddily, dizzyingly celebratory, this is my idea of the ideal party soundtrack.

***************NEW LINK POSTED SEPTEMBER 2012***************

Get it here
at

27 comments:

  1. Mr FabJune 8, 2008 at 9:18 PM

    Bought his album back when it came out, when the Lawns were one of the most popular bands on the club scene, getting airplay all over KROQ. Jonathan Demme, no less, made a video of their crucial debut single "Gidget Goes to Hell."
    that aired on "Saturday Night Live"

    Why this was never reissued on CD, or these guys aren't nearly as well known as other new wave/art rock weirdos is truly a mystery for the ages.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJune 9, 2008 at 2:49 AM

    Cult album for me !! Su Tissue was really a great and original vocalist. Her solo album "le salon de musique" from 1982 is quiet disturbing ... just 3 songs with the same piano melody loop with some additionnal instruments on each track.
    It came be found here for anyome interested
    http://dualtrack.blogspot.com/
    For Suburban Lawns, the "Baby" EP is also a must have.

    thanks again for all the obscure records that you put here.

    Greetings fro France.

    Ed Heck

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  3. AnonymousJune 9, 2008 at 4:27 AM

    hi, this does'nt relate to this album, but could you post anything by Maniacs Dream. this finnish band formed into Avarus later on i think. Im sure it's out of print. thank you.

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  4. AnonymousJune 9, 2008 at 9:09 PM

    the b side of the gidget goes to hell 7" "my boyfriend" is my favorite...it is.......perfect

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  5. AnonymousJune 10, 2008 at 5:51 AM

    Saw the Suburban Lawns with the B-People once. Su wasn't 13 though, she was in college when they formed the band. She just tried to look that way! And she had some straaaange stage moves.

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  6. AceJune 10, 2008 at 9:25 AM

    This album is fantastic; it was an old standby during my dj'ing days on radio. Thanks for this.

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  7. dannyJune 10, 2008 at 5:17 PM

    great stuff! su sure wasn't 13 tho! and many many many millions of thanks to the anonymous person who tipped me off to the Su Tisue solo record which I have been looking for for a MILLION YEARS!!!

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  8. rotardendraJune 12, 2008 at 7:03 PM

    yes yes baby...
    what was that other one with the awesome singer from the LAFMS scene recently? My memory is dramatically failing...

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  9. dannyJune 13, 2008 at 4:46 AM

    rotardendra, are you thinking of Monitor???

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  10. UnknownJune 13, 2008 at 6:59 PM

    The link isn't working for me. Damn shame.

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousJune 14, 2008 at 12:04 AM

    where is jim?(hope everything is ok... just worring...)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Douchess of YorkJune 14, 2008 at 4:02 AM

    Blog owner, i have a BLACKLIGHT BRAILLE album waitin' for ya. In case you are still interested, give me a shout.

    Donut Duck

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  13. mutantsoundsJune 14, 2008 at 4:32 AM

    sure i'm interested Donut Duck...please e-mail me with details
    Jim Mutantsounds

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  14. PeteykinsJune 14, 2008 at 7:42 AM

    I saw these guys at a tiny club in Tucson just after this album came out. They were so good. Really tight and fast. In my high school yearbook photo, you can see a poster for the album in the background. :)

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  15. AnonymousJune 14, 2008 at 8:40 AM

    Thanks for this post. Great album!
    Do you got some 80's works from Little Annie/Annie Anxiety around there? It would be very nice.

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  16. AnonymousJune 14, 2008 at 10:08 AM

    Thanks!!!!!!!!!!

    Please re-upload

    Crawling_Chaos-_The_Gas_chair_LP

    THANKS A LOT :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Kittysneezes.com/Rev. Syung Myung MeJune 15, 2008 at 12:05 PM

    Here's a review a friend of mine wrote of this great record!

    Good on you for posting this lost classic!

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  18. Loopy CJune 18, 2008 at 8:16 PM

    Met the band when they answered my classified ad for a Fender Twin Reverb for sale. They tried it at my pad before buying so I guess I can honestly say 'Suburban Lawns' played my garage!

    I also might have had them autograph their single (which I happened to have), I will have to dig it out.

    Nostalgic post, thanks :)

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  19. AnonymousJune 22, 2008 at 1:54 PM

    hey all...does the mutant post feature the exact same tracks and the same audio quality as this zip from "egg city radio"?.

    just scroll down for Surburban Lawns

    http://www.eggcityradio.com/?p=78

    ReplyDelete
  20. AnonymousJune 23, 2008 at 2:54 AM

    http://rapidshare.com/files/116667077/Suburban_Lawns-s.t.-USA-1981.zip

    ReplyDelete
  21. craig clarkJune 28, 2008 at 10:13 PM

    We opened from the Suburban Lawns a couple times at the Nugget-A-Go-Go in Long Beach when I was in the band SofaMusk. They always put on a great show to a packed house. Trip to see them on Saturday Night Live later.

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  22. AnonymousJuly 14, 2008 at 12:06 PM

    Thank you so much for this. What a great find.

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  23. TonyMay 18, 2011 at 9:36 PM

    Saw the Suburban Lawns in Raleigh, NC of all places in the early 80's.

    It was like, a Monday night and I was one of like 8 people there.

    Not sure what SL was thinking but we quickly got the impression they weren't very happy to be there that night...

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  24. JeffJuly 27, 2011 at 5:22 PM

    sooo. It's only three years later, and the rapidshare link is dead. I love this band. I remember them from way back. But the memories could use a kick start so I would appreciate it if you'd reup it? Oh, yeah - Su had it all. I wonder what she's up to now?

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  25. UnknownAugust 20, 2011 at 8:08 AM

    I'm with ya, Jeff.....here we are in 2011 and I'm really wanting to get my hands on their tracks. I saw them in LA...not sure if they opened for Devo, or something like that at the Starwood maybe...sheesh that was a long time ago. Anyway, I really miss hearing their music. Can one of you please re-upload the link? I would be grateful!

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  26. AnonymousAugust 15, 2013 at 11:43 PM

    Can you please upload this again? This looks amazing...

    ReplyDelete
  27. AnonymousAugust 15, 2013 at 11:44 PM

    Sorry, don't know if this went through first time.. can you please re-upload this stellar looking record?

    ReplyDelete